Small and medium-sized towns and cities (SMCs) are crucial to the success of the government’s flagship Northern Powerhouse strategy and already contribute £82 billion a year to the UK economy, a new report argues.

Northern Ireland's minister for infrastructure, Chris Hazzard, has announced he is proposing to remove permitted development rights for oil and gas developments which enable exploratory activity to go ahead without planning permission.

The new Wales Bill, published this week, confirms potential new powers for Welsh ministers over energy projects and ports and harbours, and offers ministers responsibility for licensing coal mining for the first time.